Scientists Race to Find Reason for Alaska Whale Deaths

A fin whale calf off Marmot Bay in Kodiak Island, Alaska, in May 2015.

NOAA has begun an official investigation into the deaths of 30 whales from several different species in the western Gulf of Alaska since May. "While we do not yet know the cause of these strandings, our investigations will give us important information on the health of whales and the ecosystems where they live," said Teri Rowles of NOAA Fisheries. It may take months or even years for the scientists to find an explanation for these deaths. So far, they’ve only been able to collect tissue samples from one of the 30 carcasses. Many have been impossible to retrieve or badly decomposed. — Read it at the Washington Post